KotLC: Winter Semi Formal
by Keefe07
Summary: "So, Foster," Keefe said as they turned and began walking towards their group of friends. "Who's your creepy stalker in the corner?" His eyes lifted to a dark haired boy in the far right corner of the room. Sophie followed his gaze. "Never seen him before," Sophie mumbled. His deep aquamarine eyes caught her attention. They reminded her of the ocean. And they were beautiful.
1. The Stalker

**This is my first fanfic so please no hateful reviews! :3 Thanks! (A/N: includes spoilers for every book except the 6th, Nightfall)**

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"Whoa," Sophie whispered as Foxfire glittered into view. She'd just light leapt from her estate home, Havenfield, but the prestigious academy in front of her was breathtaking. The glass pyramid in the middle of all the other wings of the U shaped school, was softly glowing in a light blue color. Silver streamers covered bushes shaped like levels' mascots. The level ones had a black gremlin for a mascot, level twos were a blue halcyon, level three was an amber mastodon, level four, a jade dragon, level five was ruby saber tooth tiger, and level six was a stark white yeti. She was a level five so she had to wear a red dress to correspond with her levels uniform color. Sophie was fine with red, though. She'd been told many times that red was her color. Apparently, it brought attention to her brown eyes. All the other elves had blue eyes, she was different, though. And in more ways than just her eye color.

Sophie was created by the Black Swan, a rebel organization, a group that existed in a world where rebellion was supposed to be absent. Hence the name.

Anyway, Sophie's DNA was based off of an alicorn's, that's exactly why she had brown eyes and can teleport while other elves cant. She also had multiple special abilities and enhanced power, all thanks to the Black Swan and their Project moonlark, which is what they call her. Just thinking about it made her feel squeamish and awkward.

She pulled her long blonde hair around her face, and looked at the ground as she walked. She watched the snow on the ground crunch under her black heels with every step she took, trying to keep her mind away from weird thoughts.

The Winter Semi formal was always something she secretly looked forward to. Sophie usually hated parties or anything social like this, but somehow she managed to have an amazing time each year, just talking, eating and (occasionally) dancing with all her friends. Speaking of her friends, she'd finally trekked across the snowy scape to the grand doors that led to the atrium on the first floor of the glass pyramid.

The moment she walked in, a blast of thundering bass almost knocked her back a step, but she caught herself before she lost her balance (and dignity..). The warmth of the building thawed her numb fingers as she carefully walked along the edge of the room, scanning the huge crowd for her small group of friends. Her eyes locked with impossibly teal eyes from across the room.

Fitz.

Her insides turned to mush and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach, but she tried her best to ignore the feelings.

Sophie started walking towards him when she tripped on her long train, falling straight towards... A person. A GUY person. The boy steadied her with is muscular arms. Sophie found her balance and whipped herself off. She stole a glance at the chuckling boy, surprised when she recognized his artfully styled blonde hair and charming smirk. It was Keefe who'd caught her.

"I knew you'd be falling for me sooner or later. I guess I never realized it'd be sooner." Keefe winked. He loved to tease people. ESPECIALLY Sophie. She smiled a little on accident and looked down to hide her rouge. Hiding it didn't really matter much though. Since Keefe was an Empath, he could already feel what her emotions were.

"It's practically inevitable that I will trip at least two more times tonight." She could barely walk in flats, let alone in these Tall Torture Devices for Feet, called high heels. "Why were you over here? Everyone else is over there, aren't they?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh. Fitz and Dex wanted some lushberry punch, and so did I," He gestured to the punch bowl behind her and slightly to the right. "I was going to grab some for us when I saw you walking around like you were lost. I was trying to catch your attention but instead I just caught all of you." He gestured widely to her whole body with a smile. "Wanna help me bring over the punch?"

"Sure. Hopefully I don't trip again." She glared at her dress that was still tucked under her foot. She kicked it aside and followed Keefe to the small table with the glass bowl and several little cups. Keefe set out four cups. Once he filled them all Sophie took one in each hand and Keefe did the same.

"So, Foster," Keefe said as they turned and began walking towards their group of friends. "Who's your creepy stalker in the corner?" His eyes lifted to a dark haired boy in the far right corner of the room. Sophie followed his gaze.

"Never seen him before," Sophie mumbled. He had wavy, rich brown hair with locks of it flopping down on his forehead. His skin was the color of chocolate milk and he had a striking bone structure. Right below his jawline, was a Northampton shaped like a heart. His white suit told her he was a level above her. It also complemented his eyes. Eyes. That's what really caught her attention; his deep aquamarine eyes that reminded her of the ocean. They were beautiful. The two jewels set into the boy's face were staring right at her. When he noticed she was looking at him, the guy smiled shyly, but it still light up his whole face. Sophie looked down for a moment, not sure whether she should return the smile or ignore him and keep walking, but somehow she decided looking back at him, offering her best smile was a good idea. Except, when she looked up, where the boy was a second ago, he was gone. She quickly scanned the crowd to see if he'd left or was trying to walk towards her or something. He was nowhere to be found.

"FINALLY!" Biana said exaggeratedly. "We were starting to think you two ditched on us." Biana strode across their little circle of friends, blinking in and out of sight as she did, (Biana was a Vanisher and didn't realize she did it) to give Sophie a hug, clearly not caring that Sophie had two drinks in her hands. As Biana wrapped her arms around her, Sophie tried to return the hug without spilling the juice on her pale teal gown. Luckily, Fitz took the drinks from Sophie's hands and smiled his movie star smile. He took one for himself and waited for the Biana-Sophie reunion to be over before handing Sophie the other glass of punch.

It hadn't been that long since she last saw them, only about a week. School was out for winter break and they'd last hung out on the last day of school. They were all really busy so she understood why she hadn't been around her friends too much over break. The break is over tomorrow anyway. She'd see them in school soon enough.

She looked around at all her friends. Fitz was to the left of her, Biana was next to him, then Dex, then Jensi, Marella, Linh and her twin brother Tam, then Keefe and finally right back to Sophie. She had so many amazing memories with all of them. Cognate training with Fitz (a special kind of telepathy bonding), shopping with Biana (though,Sophie usually hated it at the time, looking back on it now, she realized it was kinda fun.), practicing alchemy with Dex (and very nearly burning down her room. Multiple times...), Jensi guiding her through the halls of Foxfire (she got lost a lot.), learning useless but entertaining drama from Marella (somehow she had all the gossip), raiding the ogre capital with Tam and Linh (and other people too. Long story..), having heart to hearts with Keefe and riding across the sky on a shimmery alicorn with him (again, long story..). There was so much more, too.

"Foster, you ok over there? I'm getting some weird vibes from you." Keefe fanned the air as if he could tell what she was feeling. "Hmm. I'm getting sentimental, happiness, and... Is that... Love?" He squinted his eyes staring off into the distance pretending to concentrate really hard. His face snapped back to normal and he looked into her eyes. "It is! Ooooh. What boy are we thinkin' 'bout? Hmm?" Everyone seemed to lean closer.

"No! It's not like that. I was just thinking about the great times we've all had together. And how I'm sure tonight will be another memory to add to the pile." She hoped her face wasn't as red as she felt like it was.

"Aww. That's not as fun as getting some dirt on your love life." Sophie ignored Keefe's remark.

"You're right, Sophie. You guys are the best friends anyone could ask for." Fitz finished with a smile making the complement twice as perfect.

"Well, like Sophie said, tonight's gonna be awesome! So let's get partying! Woot woot!" Biana did a little jiggle to the rhythm of the music. Sophie giggled, swaying her hips slightly to the song. Everyone followed their lead. They mingled and danced and sipped on some lushberry punch for a long time. But all the while she could never shake the feeling that someone was watching her...

Multiple taps on her shoulder made Sophie jump slightly. She hesitated just a minute before she turned around, afraid of who might be behind her. She found herself gazing into deep green-blue eyes that seemed to never end. She felt way too many emotions wash over her as the realization dawned.

Standing right there in front of her was the boy in the corner with the beautiful eyes.

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 **Hope you liked it! I'll try to make the next chapter longer. I promise I'll update fast! Please please please, if you guys see any mistakes please TELL ME. And if** **anyone has suggestions for the next chapter (or any chapters in the future) PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Love you all! :))))**


	2. Trust Is Not A Gift

**Hi again! I hope you liked the last chapter! Some people were wondering who the boy on the cover was. Well truth be told, I love this artist, Luara Hollingsworth (who also did a few of the KotLC characters if you were wondering) and I was looking at more of her art when I found that picture. As TEAM SOPHIE told me, he is actually a character, Young Bhatiar, in a webcom series, The Silver Eye. If this is just confusing to you, you could just look up "Luara Hollingswoth the silver eye" and it'll pop up. Anyway! Enjoy!**

"Sophie Foster, is it?" The young man in front of her had a soothingly deep voice and just a hint of curiosity leaked into it. He was almost a foot taller than her, his face painted with a crooked smile. He was the boy that was staring at her from across the room earlier. His eyes sparkled and his chocolate brown hair hung just over his forehead.

"Oh, uh, yeah. That's me." Sophie barely remembered to answer his question. What did he want from her? "And, um, who are you?" She asked quietly.

"Adrien Tesoro. Nice to finally meet you." _What did he mean by f_ _inally?_ He bowed slightly and Sophie rushed to clumsily copy him. She could feel all her friends staring at her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and someone behind her cleared their throat- Dex, maybe Biana. Adrien's eyes shifted from her to the person that'd cleared their throat.

His eyes returned back to her and he held out his hand, palm facing up. "May I have the honor?" His now familiar smile reappeared.

"S-sure." Sophie stammered. Why was she acting like an idiot in front of him?

As Adrien gently pulled her into the crowd to dance, Sophie looked over her shoulder at her friends. Biana, Linh and Marella where giving her a look that her adoptive mom, Edaline, sometimes gave her. Like 'Aww, aren't they adorable!?' Fitz, Dex, Tam and Keefe all shared the same look that seemed to be scolding her. Her adoptive father did the same thing whenever any of her friends that were boys came over- especially Keefe. Jensi was the only one who just smiled normally at her, giving a small wave before the crowd swallowed them.

They reached a large bubble of space in the middle of the room- the dance floor. Sophie hadn't even noticed the song had changed to a slow song. Other couples dipped and swayed to the music. She was positive she couldn't do that. Even if she tried, Sophie knew she'd never look as graceful as the other girls.

Adrien placed two careful hands on her waist and Sophie rested her clammy palms on his tall shoulders. She felt a little dizzy and they hadn't even started dancing and turning and spinning. And forget butterflies- she had a whole zoo in her stomach!

But all that was dulled when she started wondering why he wanted to dance. Just by the look of him she knew he was cool. Every hair fell perfectly atop his head and his pristine white jacket was unbuttoned, revealing a black vest underneath. Even his birthmark was adorable. _So why would he want to dance with her?_

The question was on its way out of her mouth but instead she heard herself ask, "So what's your talent?"

"I'm a, uh, a mesmer…" He didn't look at her when he said it and Sophie had barely heard him. But she understood why he was shy about it. Her adoptive father had the same ability. Grady wasn't too fond of it, either. Kids used to blame him when they got in detention, they'd poke fun at him, and certainly no one trusted him. She'd bet Adrien felt the same way.

"Oh," Was all Sophie could think to say. "My dad's a mesmer, too." She added.

"Yeah? Well, cool I guess. And of course, who wouldn't know all of your abilities? I heard you have _a lot._ But they might just be rumors." His mood seemed to brighten.

"You know all my special abilities?" She asked, her eyes widening when he shrugged and nodded. "Well, fine. But I'll determine if they're rumors or not."

"Alright, I've heard that you're an Inflictor, Telepath, Polyglot, Teleporter - that's a first, by the way- and a Descrayer. All true?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. All true, except the last one. Oh, _and_ I'm an Enhancer- but don't tell anyone!" Sophie wished she could clamp her hand over her mouth, but decided to spare herself the embarrassment. She wasn't supposed to tell anyone that she was an Enhancer. The Black Swan didn't want the Neverseen to find out and use it for the wrong reasons. _So why did she just tell a complete stranger?_ For all she knew, Adrien could be a part of the evil band of rebels. Not that she assumed anything like that. He was so nice.

 _But so was Alvar,_ Sophie thought darkly. Alvar was Fitz and Biana's older brother and he'd been playing everyone for so long, getting inside information from his father. She dropped the thoughts.

Sophie decided to cut to the chase and ask the question she kept avoiding. Adrien wasn't just here have a lovly dance and leave her heart broken, never to see him again- not that that would happen…

"So why are we dancing again?" She didn't mean to sound rude but her voice came out clipped and harsh. She tried to fix her tone and added, "I mean, this is great and all, but I'm guessing you didn't just want to go dancing with the clumsy, weird girl to be spontaneous or something." Right on cue she stepped on his foot and they both winced.

"Sophie, you're not weird at all." She noticed he said nothing about her being clumsy. But she kind of liked his form of silent honesty.

"You still haven't answered my question." She pointed out, not missing how he'd dodged it.

"Fine," He glanced over his shoulder like he expected a cloaked figure to pop out of the crowd and snatch them. "But not here."

"Wait, what? Where are we- _EEP!"_ Adrien scooped her up in his arms effortlessly. _Shh-_ ing her when she began yelling, "No! What are you doing? _Put me down!"_ He clamped his soft hand on her mouth to stop the commotion she was causing. She wasn't giving up that easy.

She squirmed and wriggled until he whispered in her ear, "Sophie, I'm here to help. Please trust me. Just stop struggling." His words reminded her so much of Fitz when she'd first met him. But it was the kindness in his gorgeous eyes and smooth voice that let him carry her out the door. They walked for a while, Sophie still nestled in his arms.

"You know, I can walk on my own, right?" She asked shivering more than just a little.

"Yeah, but I can't risk you running away before we arrive. Plus, your feet will be killing you by the time we get there." He responded looking straight ahead.

"I'm not going to run away, I'd probably just get lost." He _did_ have a good point about her feet hurting, though. Her heels had already given her blisters and the night had barely begun. "But won't your _arms_ be killing _you_ when we get there?" She had a good point, and he knew it.

He made a growling sound mixed with a sigh before he said, "Fine." And put her gently on the snow. Without Adrien's body heat, Sophie was freezing.

"Here," Adrien draped his jacket around her shoulders. It helped, but she still hadn't stopped shivering until they reached an enormous rock wall with thick vines draping over it.

"Please don't tell me we have to _climb_ up there." She whined when she noticed the boulders stacked in front of her created a dead end. Either they were lost, or she had to go rock climbing. Then again, she'd seen some pretty crazy things while living in the Elvin world. Maybe Adrien had a few tricks up his crisp, white sleeves.

"No," He glanced at her, smiling, as he rolled up his sleeves and shook the loose snow that had been falling from his hair, giving him an adorable, messy and disheveled look. Sophie adjusted Adrien's jacket uncomfortably when she realized she might have feelings for this tall, dark, mysterious, boy she literally just met…

Wait, what?! What was she THINKING!? She liked Fitz and that's that. _Maybe he was mesmerizing her into liking him…_ She was ashamed for even thinking it. _But… It's not like it was impossible._ Oh, stop. She was being ridiculous. Adrien would never… _Would he, though? She_ had _just met him…_

Ok these thoughts needed to stop before Sophie lost her mind. She just needed to take a deep breath and-

"Did you hear me?" Adrien said, suddenly very close to her face.

Her eyes widened when she finally focused. "Hmm? Oh! Uh, no, sorry. I didn't hear you." She mumbled, fidgeting with the coat around her shoulders.

"I said, no, we don't have to climb up there," He shot her a smug smirk then added, "Watch this," He made his way over to the giant wall and Sophie waddled like a penguin behind him. Adrien gave her a dazzling smile before sweeping back a curtain of the vines. "Voila!" He finished with an exaggerated motioning towards the cavern he'd uncovered.

Her eyes had to adjust from seeing the bright snow surrounding them that was reflecting the pale moonlight. She squinted into the darkness Adrien had revealed.

The cavern was actually a small, round room that had been cut out of the face of the cliff, with a hole-big enough for a goblin to squeeze down into-in the floor. Nothing other than the hole seemed to be significant about the room.

"Let me guess, we have to climb down in that hole." Sophie said crossing her arm like she'd seen Biana do when she wanted to prove a point or knew she was right.

Adrien chuckled, "You got it right this time. Now come on," He gestured for her to get into the room, and she did. Adrien followed closely, letting the tangle of plants down in front of the doorway. The darkness seemed to swallow them whole. Afraid to move, for she might fall into the gaping hole in the ground, Sophie called out to Adrien.

"Give me a sec," He replied. Just the sound of his voice comforted her. She could hear him fussing with something, then he breathed deeply and a dim blue light brightened the cavern.

Balefire.

The combination of the eerie atmosphere of the cave and the ghastly glow of Fintan's signature type fire gave her goosebumps as old memories clawed their way into Sophie's brian. Sophie hadn't even noticed she was violently shaking until Adrien came up from behind her and hugged her, keeping her steady.

"Hey, it's ok." He cooed. "I'm here." He let his arms fall to his sides, stepping right next to her so they were both facing the hole. "This place is kinda creepy, let's go." He added.

Sophie just nodded, stunned at how easily he had made her feel completely better. Like he just stripped her of all her worries. She felt like she was floating on a big, fluffy cloud.

Adrien helped her shimmy into the hole and before she dropped completely down into it, he promised he'd be down within a few seconds. Then she plummeted feeling the sensation of free falling in her gut, before it suddenly ended. Sophie collided with a soft cushion, like a huge piece of memory foam. Just seconds after Sophie regained her balance, she heard a _whoosh_ ing sound. By the time she realized it was Adrien shooting down the hole, it was too late.

He landed right on top of her, sending them both toppling down on the squishy matt. Somehow Sophie had ended up laying on top of Adrien, face to face with the dark haired boy. For a moment, both of them just stared at the other in shock. Sophie felt like the air between them was electric, but maybe it was just adrenaline. She bit her lower lip and held her breath, wondering what would happen next.

"You kids, always trying to be two steps ahead of us." Sophie sprang right up, completely and totally mortified that she recognised that voice. Mr. Forkle. "Adrien, did Ms. Foster's friends see you take her? Did anyone see you, for that matter? Did you tell Sophie what's going on or why she's here?" He bombarded Adrien as he stood up and whipped himself off.

"No, no, no, and no. Just as you asked, sir." _Just as he asked? What's going on here?_

"Good." Mr. Forkle turned to Sophie. "Are you ready?" He asked, with, what looked like, admiration, in his eyes.

"What am I supposed to be ready for?" She asked, genuinely confused. No one answered for a second, then Adrien and Mr. Forkle shared a look and they both smiled said, "Your future."

 **Ok this chapter was kind of boring.. Sorry. But I promise the next one is pretty thrilling! I can't wait for you guys to read it! Oh and the next chapter will probably take me longer to write since my birthday's coming up (on the 11th) And what would the ship name for Adrien and Sophie be? Adriphie? Sophien? Tell me what you think! Until next time! Bye! :)**


	3. The Legend

**Welcome back! I'm very glad so many of you continue reading and reviewing! It always makes my day! :) Enjoy this next chapter!**

Mr. Forkle lead Sophie and Adrien to a hidden door she hadn't noticed before. He licked a small silver square next to the entryway. It took a second for the door to register his DNA, then it opened, making a rough scraping sound on the floor. She tried to look over Mr. Forkle's shoulder to see what was beyond the open door, but the small entryway and his enlarged form made it impossible. All three of them stepped through the frame, single file. Sophie gasped when they entered the stunning gold room.

Most of the places she'd seen in the Lost Cities where made of crystal or silver (in Atlantis). The walls and floors were made of white marble with gold tracing up the sides in intricate designs. The enormous domed ceiling was gold, too, and the giant chandelier that dangled down was dripping in clear diamonds. There was also a large round table in the middle of the room. Everything was so grand and intimidating. It made Sophie feel like a tiny ant scrambling on the ground.

However, the room itself wasn't the only thing that was intimidating. At the circular table sat Granite and the rest of the collective, and, oddly enough, Grady, Edaline and Councillor Oralie and finally, a man and a woman that resembled Adrien, especially the man. Same dark wavy hair and bronze skin. They were probably his parents. But why would they be here? Are they apart of The Black Swan? And if they were, did that mean Adrien was too?

Mr. Forkle stayed quiet as he pulled out a gold and red velvet throne for Sophie to sit in. She smoothed her dress and sank into the soft chair. Adrian was put between Sophie and the woman that might be his mother. Sophie was glad he blocked her view of the intimidating woman. Her sharp, pale blue eyes send shivers down her spine.

Once everyone was seated and murmured their greetings to one another, Granite cleared his throat and stood up to address their small crowd. "We've all been summoned at the request of Amira and Amiche Tesoro," _So they must be Adrien's parents._ Sophie thought. "We must address the situation we've all been forced in," He paused to look at everyone, lingering on Sophie for an extra second. "We believe that Adrien Tesoro is Sophie's match." Edaline gasped and everyone turned to look at Sophie and Adrien.

Sophies brain was trying really hard to catch up. What do they mean Adrien is her match? Match as in, the matchmakers and lists of "matches"? The word began taking over her mind, being echoed everywhere, over and over.

 _Match._

 _Match._

 _Match._

Someone made a squeaking noise than asked, "What?" very quietly. Edaline.

"Does this mean you signed Sophie up for a list when she's not even legally old enough?" Grady began to turn red. " And without her parents consent, nonetheless!"

"Mr. and Mrs. Ruewen," Wraith began, "You can't possibly think we would do such a thing? I think we can all agree she is much too young for this. Or anything else she's endured as well. Point being, no, we did not illegally sign her up for a list without your permission. But we have recently discovered that the legend is true." Everyone seemed to be just as confused as Sophie was, except the collective who were all looking down uncomfortably.

"What was the legend?" Edaline asked bravely. Sophie wasn't sure how she should be reacting to any of this, aside from feeling nauseous, but if one thing was for sure it was that she wanted to be brave about it, like Edaline was.

For 48 long seconds no one said a word, then Mr. Forkle began to tell the story.

 **15 years ago, Mr. Forkle's POV**

I arrive home after a long day, no one else is here. I make my way down the hall and to the stairs to the secret laboratory in the basement. Everything is exactly where I left it. Good.

I sit down on my blue stool. I've spent hours on end sitting on this stool. Half the time with Calla at my side. I look down at the microscopic embryo in the glowing green tube. Someday this will change the world. I reach across the cluttered table for my gloves when I see a letter just a foot to the right of my outstretched hand. _I didn't put that there._ My hand changed direction, towards the slip of paper. _Maybe one of my colleagues left it for me._ The sheet wrote,

If The Moonlark fails, Civil war will come over the Elves, disease will consume the gnomes, and the planet will die. If the hybrid succeeds, all will be at peace, the timeline will be reset, the gnomes will be healed and so will the planet. I know how to ensure the project's efficiency. Meet me and I'll perform the spell. Bring the Moonlark and come alone. Remember that risks are something we all need to take, whether it's worth it or not is your choice. You have three days to decide. Choose wisely.

-A.T.

There are so many terrifying question this letter raises. Who knows who put it here or how they got in? How they knew about the project in the first place? What they meant by "spell" or where the leaping crystal left next to it will take me? Or all the possible results of what I could do with the letter? Should I ignore it or pursue it? What will happen if I choose one or the other? But the biggest question is, which option will have the outcome I'm seeking? Will Project Moonlark fail if I ignore the request? Was all this time and effort for nothing? Can I really risk the project's safety?

On these wonderings shall go, but the actions have been put to a halt. This decision has no need for haste. I must be patient and wise to choose the right path, both are equally risky.

After two days of processing and careful planning, I've decided to follow the notes instructions. I supply myself with weapons and a heavy cloak. As a disguise, I've eaten a dose of ruckleberries. I appear to be a heavy, elderly human. I have the embryo, an obscurer and weapons hidden among my dark clothing. I'm completely prepared, so I take a deep breath and step into the light letting the crystal deconstruct my body and carry me away.

I materialize in a dense rainforest. The first thing I do is listen for human thoughts. I hear nothing. Not that it matters. If there are any here, they won't see me; the obscurer will hide me from any humans.

I strain to listen for Elvin thoughts but none enter my conscience. _That's odd._ I take a cautious step forward. A stick cracks a mere ten feet before me. I freeze.

"You've finally arrived." A dark cloaked figure stepped out of the underbrush right where the stick had broken. The fact that I couldn't hear the figures thoughts tells me he's either a extremely powerful telepath, or he was an Ancient.

He seems to be carrying nothing, his hood casting a curtain of darkness over his face, making it impossible to identify him.

"Show yourself, you coward!" I holler at him.

He laughs. A ghastly sound. "Says the man who's consumed ruckleberries to hide his identity. But let's not get caught up in that. Now, where is the embryo?" The man holds out his dark colored hand.

"Not until I see your face." I may be hiding just as much as he is, but he already knew who I was other wise he would've never been able to get into my lab. The door takes the DNA of only a very select few. If I'm going to trust him, I need to know who he is.

The hooded figure growled. "Well, if you're going to act like a child," He threw back his hood swiftly. But his face is blurred.

The only thing I can make out wis his pointed ears. _He really_ is _an Ancient._

"Happy?" The man barks. I respond with an irritated grunt. "Good. Now for this process to work, the embryo must be _visible_ to me. So hand it over."

I remind myself that this man is trying to help, then I step forward and pull the small green tube from my pocket.

He takes it gently and holds it to the light. Examining it he breathes, "Fascinating,"

"Can we just carry on with the process?" The man glances at me pointedly. Then he holds the tube in front of him with both hands. He releases it. But the project doesn't drop, it floats. Slowly, it begins to rise, too. The man, with his palms upright facing the tube, appears to be making it float with telekinesis. A low hum came over the forest. It takes me a second to realize what the Ancient is doing. He seems to be gathering energy from the forest and balling it up, eventually using a brain push to force the energy into the embryo.

 _But wouldn't all that energy only break the glass?_

He begins whispering things I don't understand. Maybe he's chanting the spell he spoke of in his note. The figure thrusts his arms upward, toward the small green blip in the air that holds the future of this world. The man quivers and begins to wobble. His concentration brakes and the embryo plummets toward the ground. Out of pure determination and adrenaline, I strain all my energy to catch the falling tube with my mind. Just before it hits the damp floor of the rainforest, I manage to stop its decent.

A loud moan emerges from the cloaked figure lying in the lush plants. I tuck the embryo into my pocket after carefully examining it. Physically, it appears that the man had neither harmed nor helped the project. I make my way over to the man, hunching over his crumpled face.

"Sir, are you alright? Is this normal?" I asked. Small moans were my only answer. I tried to transmit that I would be invading his privacy, not waiting to listen for a response not even conserved that he was an Ancient and most likely couldn't hear me. I plunge into his head anyway but find only darkness and a yanking river of coldness. I rip my mind free from his before the dark, inky flow dragged me down.

For the first time in centuries, I'm not sure what to do. I begin to panic. I have no understanding of what exactly he did so I don't know how to help him or how to fix the problem. Not to mention his ancient mind refuses to let me in to take a closer look.

A hasty decision such as the one I'm about to make will most definitely have consequences, but it's impossible to tell what they will be from here. Taking a shot in the dark seems to be the only solution. I sling the mans limp body over my shoulder and wrap more than half of my concentration around him and the remaining scraps around myself. I pull out my crystal pathfinder and adjust it slightly before stepping into the daunting light, wondering if I'm making a fatal mistake.

 **Ok, this chapter was a bit short, even though it took me FOREVER to finish. (Sorry about that, by the way...) But I hope you guys continue reading and reviewing! Thanks! :)**


	4. An Explanation

**I have to apologize to all of you for taking ovER A MONTH to finish this chapter! So I am SO SO SO SORRY EVERYONE! I've been so busy with the holidays and my aunt came home from all the way across the country for the first time in ten years too... PLUS I HAD MAJOR WRITERS BLOCK! UGH. But I shouldn't be making excuses. Anyway, now that it's finally out I hope you really like this chapter!**

 **Review responses...**

 **BuddingWriter101** : Thank you! And yes that is what I meant by match. I'm going to try to add more Sophie-Adrien time in there so you guys can get to know him more. (Which I'm secretly SUPER excited for!) Also with Mr. Forkle's point of view, I tried to make his mind work more logically than emotionally. And like, spending less time describing things and more time getting lost in his observations or questions.

 **strawberryair:** Yay! Glad to hear that! Hope you keep reading! :)

 **Guest:** Thank you! I love to put myself in other peoples shoes- especially fictional characters. XD

 **Crystal:** Glad to hear it! Or rather read it. And thank you very much!

 **Guest:** Thanks. :)

 **Moonlark:** I appreciate your eagerness to read more! :D

 _On with the story!_

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Still 15 years ago Forkle's POV

We reconstruct in Alluveture, one of the Black Swan's many hideouts. This one was by far the most graceful and beautiful.

Luckily no one is around to see me with a dark body stone across my shoulder.

I lumber the man up a set of stairs to the west tree house. I place the man gently on a boulder shaped bean bag chair. I quickly hail Physic on my imparter. I give her no information besides that she must hurry. I feel slightly revealed knowing she will be here shortly.

Once again, I press my fingers on his cold temples and enter the man's consciousness, transmitting to him. Even if I'm not positive transmitting is even working since he's an Ancient and has an impenetrable mind, I refuse to not exercise all my options until Physic arrives.

Trying to call him out of the darkness isn't quite seeming to work. I yank my mind free and search his pockets for anything that might help me figure out who he is or what to do. All I can find is a small, rough red stone with no significant markings and a clear pathfinder. No sort of ID, not even a registry pendant.

I sit on a shrubbery armchair next to the man, close my eyes and think. What should I do? And where is Physic?

I'm beginning to panic. What's taking Physic so long? What if Physic isn't able to come? What if something bad happened to her? What if the man wasn't done with the spell? What if he picked that location for a specific reason? Did he have other Ancients hiding to make sure the plan didn't backfire? But if he had backup, how come no one came to his rescue when he blacked out? Unless this was their plan all along. But how would they have known I would bring him somewhere else? I could've been selfish and just left the man in the forest.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to clear my mind. The next thing I knew, everything was dark and the back of my head throbbed. It felt like I was lost in the suffocating darkness for years, but when I woke up, Physic had laid me in one of the beds up stairs and was now leaning over me.

I had no idea why I had called for her, why my head hurt so much or why I had a terrible sinking feeling settling into my gut. Regardless, I leaned over the edge of the bed and vomited.

Present time. Original POV (From Sophie's mind)

Air. That's what she needed. She needed to breathe before her lungs burst.

She didn't know what to think, what to do, or what to feel.

The Black Swan let a strange man perform a spell on her. He could've been a part of the Neverseen. He could've messed up somehow. He could've been flat out lying. But the worst part was that they never even told her.

"Why?" Was all that Sophie could choke out. Everyone in the room was sitting still, frozen. Various expressions betraying various emotions on each person's face. She couldn't decide if she was furios or felt betrayed and hurt.

"Why, what, Sophie?" Tiergen asked before Mr. Forkle did.

"Why did you do it? Perform a spell on me." When no one answered she added, "You have no idea how hard it's been to be me. An anomaly, a freak, an experiment, a pawn in your awful game. Now I have to also live with knowing the only reason I'm successful is the product of a witch?" Her short outburst left her panting for a breath.

After what felt like hours, Mr. Forkle finally responded, "Sophie, no one thinks of you as any of those things. But it was a risk we had to take. If Project Moonlark didn't succeed, all our careful planning and progress would be lost. We would have to start over again. We couldn't afford that kind of waste."

"The same thing could've happened with the spell!" Sophie decided she felt betrayed, upset, curious and mad. Very, very mad. But the most dangerous feeling that consumed her knotted insides was guilt. Elves had a hard time dealing with guilt as well as violence. Sophie cleared her mind and took a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked him, letting some of her pent up hurt and anger seep through her words.

"This memory was only recently recovered. The Ancient must've washed my memories when I blacked out. That's why I had no idea why I called for Physic or why my head hurt. The elf most likely woke up when I began to panic and he hit me over the head with something so he could wash my memories. " Mr. Forkle stared down, avoiding her eyes. "But I am sorry, Miss Foster."

She let that sink in for a second then asked, "Even if you had known, and the Ancient hadn't erased your memories, would you have told me?"

Mr. Forkle hesitated before he decided, "Most likely, no, I wouldn't have. But it's similar to Councillor Terik and his ability as a descrayer. He knows your potential but chooses not to tell you. If you are aware of the amount of potential you have, you may never live up to it. I would much rather have you determine yourself how much potential you will yield."

Sophie thought about this for a moment, thinking it made sense but still felt weird. Then something he'd said clicked into place.

"So if you just recently found this out, then how come you're telling me right now if you said you would keep it a secret if the Ancient hadn't erased your memories?" She wondered if there was a deeper reason to their emergency meeting he'd called other than the story of the legend and to announce that Adrien and Sophie were matches. There's that word again. Matches. She tried to imagine the two of them going on Elven dates and doing other couple-y things, but it was nearly impossible. Could the legend really be true? What, exactly, is it anyway?

"Well," Wraith began, "that's why we are all gathered today. To discuss these… difficult issues. Mr. Forkle, care to pick up where we left off?" He gestured to Mr. Forkle, who was still gazing at the table like it was the only thing in the room.

After a moment of hesitation, he looked around the table and began to explain. "The Tesoro's have recently received a note from this mystery elf, A.T.. When they came to me, as the letter had instructed, I read the note and it triggered that lost memory of mine. In the letter, he assured us that the spell he'd preformed all those years ago was indeed successful, since you have cured the gnomes and reset the timeline with the alicorns. I still have no idea how he knew about the existence of Silveney or the plague before it broke out. Either he is - or was, at least - a part of the Neverseen, or he is connected to the ogres. Or maybe he was a part of the Ancient council. But lately I haven't had time to research much since the Tesoros have requested this meeting." Mr. Forkle side eyed the uptight looking couple. "Anyhow, the letter also said that the moonlark had a perfect match- a soulmate. It took the Ancient elf almost 15 years to find him but, here he is, Adrien Tesoro." Mr. Forkle proudly introduced. Adrien stood up and gave a brief bow and a shy smile to her parents. But Grady and Edaline were too stunned to react. He awkwardly sat back down after a moment.

No one seemed to know what to say. Except Mrs. Tesoro.

"I'm concerned that the moonlark isn't quite a perfect fit for my son." She looked over at Sophie with a stale sort of expression with disapproval in her eyes. For some stupid reason Sophie felt ashamed and determined to prove her wrong. Mrs. Tesoro looked at the collective and added, "The Tesoro's have a very tight reputation to keep and I'm not convinced she will have what it takes."

"Give her a chance, Amira." Mr. Tesoro stepped in. "She may not look like much, but I'm sure she can handle more than what we might think." Mr. Tesoro looked at Sophie like he just did her a huge favor. And maybe he did because the striking woman didn't complain any further.

"I can assure you that Miss Foster is very capable of almost anything that you could think to throw at her." Mr. Forkle glanced at her before scowling at the Tesoro couple. "Now shall we continue with the main purpose of this meeting?" When no one protested he continued. "This ancient spoke of a legend in his letter. Two hearts that are connected from birth; soulmates. When the both of them are united in the presence of the one who has paired them, before the age of 20, something magical will happen. No one is quite sure what that magical thing is though, since a soul-pairing has never happened in all of our history, hence the legend."

"Can someone please translate that in the enlightened language because that made almost zero sense." Adrien complained, rubbing his forehead. Sophie was just as confused.

"Basically," Wraith began. "there is a legend that when a sorcerer- which are also presumed to be a myth- pairs two elves through a spell, something said to be amazing will happen, this is called a pairing. The ancient claims to be a sorcerer and has paired both of you from before birth. The only problem is; a pairing doesn't always work." Wraith solemnly looked down fiddling with his red cape.

"What do you mean it doesn't always work?" Sophie asked, fearful of the answer. She held her breath while Blur cleared his throat.

"If the pair is compatible they will marry and continue living a lovely life but…" His voice wavered and trailed off.

"And if not?" Adrien pressed.

"You will both die."

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 **I kinda suck at cliffhangers but oh well. The next chapter is a more romantic one but I still like it. It will give you guys a better look at Adrien and his newfound friendship (or maybe it's more than that) with Sophie. It will also take me a while to write but I already have at least half of it down so that's a bonus. Keep reading and reviewing! :) Bye guys!**


	5. Under The Stars

**Hi again guys. This chapter took a little longer to finish than I expected but oh well. Thanks for reading! Enjoy the chapter!**

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 **WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT MORE MATURE AND ROMANTIC BUT ITS REALLY NOT THAT BAD. IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE READING IT, YOU CAN SKIP OVER IT WITHOUT MISSING ANY IMPORTANT DETAILS. That's all. Continue with the story...**

"Wait, _what?"_ Sophie screeched. She felt like she was in a Grimm brothers fairy-tale where an alicorn-elf anomaly is cursed with a soulmate and if they fall in love, happily ever after! But if they can't? They are both going to die!

One hot tear rolled down her face and landed on her hand. She felt just as betrayed toward that tear as she did toward The Black Swan. Not only had they not trusted that she would be successful on her own, but they also probably killed both her _and_ Adrien!

Everyone was shouting around her but she couldn't force herself to pay attention. Especially when Adrien reached over and wiped the single tear from her hand. She looked up at him with gratitude. And he stared back, his eyes shimmering with understanding. Sophie was taken aback, briefly, since no one had ever given her that look, but it felt like coming home. So warm and welcoming.

"Thank you," Sophie whispered softly. "I needed that."

* * *

After the meeting was over Sophie felt dazed. Like she was living in a dream. Or maybe a nightmare was more like it.

Everyone else had leaped home but Sophie and Adrien had to return to the party to avoid suspicion. Not that she could act natural after just finding out that she would die soon. Sophie tried to argue that it'd be more suspicious if they had left the party for a short while then returned without a perfect explanation. But the adults said it would be good for them to at least try to loosen up and hang out with their friends. All Sophie wanted was to be alone to think about things.

But instead, her and Adrien were now walking all the way across the snow covered field. The walk could've been peaceful but with the revealing meeting previously and the fact that Sophie was very cold and suddenly feeling nauseous around Adrien, it was very awkward instead.

Adrien cleared his throat. "Look, I know that whole thing back there was hard to process, and extremely difficult for you, I'm sure, but I just want to let you know that this will either turn out bad, or it'll turn out really bad," He paused before awkwardly chuckling and clearing his throat. "That was, uh, a joke. . . Anyway, no matter what winds up happening, just know that it was not your fault. At all." His voice was quieter than he was prior to the meeting. Was he just as terrified as her?

"Thanks, Adrien. That means a lot." Sophie paused for a moment, deciding if she should say something else but Adrien beat her to it.

"Hey, you up for a slight detour?" He looked at her from the corner of his eye and threw her a smirk.

She wasn't. She was cold and tired and extremely miserable, but she would rather not sound like the Grinch so she gave Adrien a small smile of her own and told him, "Only if you tell me where we'll be going."

Adrien thought about that. "Well, I _could_ tell you, but that would just ruin the fun, wouldn't it?" His eyes seemed to have a slightly mischievous gleam to them. She hoped wherever they were headed would be better than the formal.

"Fine, let's go. But I get to have your jacket." Sophie was a bit proud of her demand. She was still cold and Adrien had his fair share being warm.

"You drive a hard bargain, little missy. But, I think you have yourself a deal." He stopped walking and turned towards her holding out his hand for her to shake. She took it and they shook firmly on it. Adrien handed his jacket over and dug out a pathfinder.

"Wait, you never said we'd be leaping there." Sophie complained.

"Too late. We already shook on it." His smile was way too smug. She wished she could smear it right off his face.

"You know," Sophie countered. "You just might be more annoying than Keefe."

At first she was worried the insult was too far but Adrien just laughed and said, "If that's what it takes," He held out his hand and Sophie took it so they could leap away, leaving the cold behind and letting the warm feathers brush under her skin.

When she opened her eyes, they were standing under a gorgeous sky that twinkled with so many beautiful stars. Under her feet, she felt squishy sand. She peeled her eyes from the captivating sky and looked at her surroundings. They stood on a beach, facing the ocean, lined with caves that felt very familiar. "Are we at Havenfield?" Sophie looked up at Adrien who was already gazing at her.

"Maybe," That was the only answer she got. "Follow me." He began walking to the left and their hands being still entwined she was softly yanked towards him. They walked along the water in silence for a minute, hand in hand, both of them just enjoying the peace and beauty. Then, Adrien stopped before the water leaked into the last three caves. They were further down the shore than she'd ever been.

Adrien took her other hand as he turned to face her. "Do you think you would be ok if we went in there? What with your… kidnapping… and all.. Could you handle that?" He bit his lower lip and his eyebrows drew up just slightly. Sophie looked away as her thoughts began to be consumed by his handsome features. When she didn't respond, Adrien dropped her hands. "Alright, we can go back to the party. Or I can just bring you home if you want."

Sophie grabbed his arm to stop him from going back the way they came. "Wait, I.. I think I can handle it. I'll be ok."

Adrien's face lit right up, but all he said was, "Awesome." She giggled, wondering what was in the cave that he wanted to show her so badly.

She draped Adrien's jacket on a rock far from the water and left her shoes at the base of the same rock. It would be hard to walk in the cave with heels on.

Together, they walked into the largest cave of the three subduced in water. The moment the darkness blanketed them, Sophie's insides tightened. Adrien's balefire pendant was still glowing but the light was not enough to chase away her fears. However, Adrien's strong arm wrapping around her waist and his hushed "I'm here," definitely was. She leaned into him listening to their footsteps in the warm ankle-high water. The cave took a sharp turn to the left and revealed a humongous cavern with dim blue light dotting the ceiling. She realized they were glow worms. Sophie hadn't known it was possible to be disgusted and have her breath be taken away in the same instance. The sight also made her a little dizzy but it was worth it.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Adrien looked down at her and smiled. Sophie nodded since she was at a loss for words. She'd just realized how intimate it all was. She was completely in his arms now and leaning into him. Her back was on his front, his arms rested on her abdomen and her hands were gently placed over his. But it felt natural. Like that's where she belonged.

For a while Sophie just sat there, soaking up the warm feeling that melted her insides, until Adrien shifted.

"We should probably head back." He sounded just about as reluctant as Sophie felt. But he was right, they'd been gone for a while. So they walked back out the way they'd come, all of Sophie's fears were completely chased away that time. When they finally exited the cave Adrien grabbed his jacket from the rock it'd been strone apon and slung it over his left shoulder. Sophie bent down to retrieve her shoes, deciding not to put them on and just walk barefoot along the coast.

The walk back consisted of playfully splashing and shoving each other. Adrien shoved Sophie after she'd just pushed him, then she stepped on something sharp, rolled her ankle and fell backward. Time seemed like it slowed down as she felt all her limbs flailing and her body tumbling down. She was staring at Adrien who looked horrified. But time caught up when she splashed into the rolling waves and felt the warm water curling around her body.

She sat up since the water was shallow, allowing the waves to crash on her back repeatedly. The salty liquid dripped from her hair and onto her face. Sophie and Adrien just sat there, shocked. Then he came running toward her, his hair flopping with each stride.

"Are you alr- WHOA!" Adrien tripped over his own feet and came tumbling down on Sophie. She flailed under the water until she was free of Adriens limbs. She shot up and gasped for breath, frantically searching the surface of the water for Adrien. He popped up next to her a few seconds later with a gasp similar to hers. The two of them sat in the warm, rolling waves for a while, just catching their breath and dreading the walk back home.

"Sorry, um," Adrien cleared his throat and made his voice louder. "Sorry for all that. It was an accident, I swear." He cracked a small smile.

"I already forgave you." Sophie informed him. He chuckled.

"I don't deserve your kindness, pretty lady." She knew he was just teasing her, but for some strange reason her chest felt warm, not because of the water, and she was breathless. Her face relaxed and so did Adrien's transforming the moment from friendly to serious in a matter of seconds.

She could feel the warmth radiating off of Adrien through the air and the water, that's how very close they were. He slowly reached up and tucked a wet lock of her hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek for a moment, then tracing his hand down her arm until their fingers were laced. She watched him do this, feeling his fingertips on her skin that left goosebumps wherever they touched. Sophie smiled timidly at him and he gave her a look that sent shivers down her spine. Her heart leapt from her chest and swam away in the water leaving her stomach knotted and her head fuzzy.

After an awkwardly silent moment, Adrien stood helping Sophie up and keeping the hands intertwined. The warmth of the water was gone and the chilly air replaced it. Sophie retrieved her shoes from the wet sand where she dropped them and they walked to the path that lead her back home.

They stopped and faced each other, neither of them ready to say goodbye.

"I hate goodbyes." Sophie whispered. Adrien nodded.

"Me too." He looked down at their locked hands. "But it's only a see you later, right? With this whole match thing I'm sure the Black Swan or our parents will get us together." Adrien squeezed her hand, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, but still," She wondered if telling him she would miss him was crossing a line but before she could stop herself her mouth whispered, "I'll miss you." Then she dropped his hand and walked up the path towards her house before she changed her mind.

When she got to the Y in the path, she turned around to see if Adrien was still at the bottom. He was and he was staring right at her. She gave a small wave and turned away, continuing her walk back home.

* * *

"You know I could smell you and and that boy."

"AAAAH!" Sophie jumped a clean foot and a half into the air. She had snuck all the way upstairs to her bedroom without so much as a shuffle of her foot until she closed her door and Sandor spoke, giving her a massive heart attack. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I went down to investigate and saw you two on the beach." He gave her a knowing smile.

"Stop looking at me like that." Sophie crossed her arms and glared daggers at her seven foot tall goblin.

"Like what? This is how I always look!" He claimed. She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed some pajamas to change into.

"I could have very well stopped the both of you and dragged you up here, so you're welco-" Sophie closed the bathroom door on him and began undressing.

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Whatever." She said with a bit of hysteria in her voice. She was too tired for this conversation. When she was done changing she crawled under the covers and snuggled close with her stuffed elephant, ella. "Goodnight, Sandor."

"Goodnight, Sophie." He gently closed the door and Sophie soon drifted off to sleep.

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 **So I added more one on one time for Sophie and Adrien so that you guys can see how nice he really is and get to know him better. And I know that all of you already ship Sophie with someone else and I'm not asking you to throw that away I just want you guys to give him a chance. There will be some drama with the other boys soon and that's always fun ;) so keep reading!**


	6. UPDATE!

**This is just an update** : I'm very sorry for no updates for FIVE WHOLE MONTHS! I really hate it when authors do this but I have had writers block for so long and I'm really busy with regents and finals and studying and aaalllllllllllll of that good stuff. I've had a lot of stress on me lately but I know that's no excuse for this terrible thing I've done: deprived you all of this story. So again, I'm very sorry for making you wait. I'm going try to continue writing but no promises of another chapter in June. But I promise to at least TRY to write more. Thank you for your patience. :)

Now I sound like a sign you would see on the way out of a drive-thru...


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